Artificial leg.



J. F. ROWLEY. ARTIFICIAL LEG.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I6. 1915.

Patented Feb. 20, 1917. I

2 SHEETS-SI'IEET I.

I I II I I I I I I I J. F. ROWLEY.

ARTIFICIAL LEG.

APPLICATION man JULY I6. I915.

Patnted Feb.20,1917.'

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

llllll I! I I JAMES F. ROWLEY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ARTIFICIAL LEG.

ament.

Application filed July 16, 1915.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES F. ROWLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Legs, of which the following is a description.

My invention belongs to that general class of devices known as artificial limbs, and relates particularly to that class of artificial legs known as preparatory or temporary legs. The purpose of using preparatory or temporary legs being well known to those skilled in the art, I have not considered it necessary to set forth in detail the facts relating thereto. My invention has among its objects the production of an improved temporary leg of the kind described that is simple, convenient, comfortable, durable, efficient and satisfactory, and inexpensive to manufacture. It particularly has among its objects the production of an improved leg in which the knee may be flexed in a natural manner, but which, upon rising, will be automatically locked in a simple manner against flexing while walking. It also has among its objects the production of a device in which the socket is free from the framework of the leg, and supported in an exceedingly simple and satisfactory manner so that its adjustment is an easy matter. 'The construction in its essential parts is adapted for amputation below or above the knee. The drawings show legs for amputations below and above the knee.

To this end my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, wherein like. reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my preferred form of leg, the outline of the wearer being shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the leg similar to the form shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of a form to be used when the amputation is above the knee;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the leg shown Specification of Letters Patent.

rammed net. 2o, iait.

Serial No. 40,215.

in Fig. 1, the same being shown flexed at the knee in the dotted lines;

Fig. 5 is a'sectionalview substantially on line 4, 4 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view substantially on line '5, 5 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken substantially 011 line 6, 6 of Fig. 4.

The socket or corset is preferably made of soft yielding material, such as leather, or its equivalent, and is arrai'lged to be secured together by the lacing 2, extending through the openings 3, so that the same may be laced closer to reduce the diameter, or let out again, should it be necessary. The same is also provided with an additonal row of eyelets or openings 4 for lacing, so that the first row. may be cut off and the second ones used in the lacing if found necessary. The socket 1 is preferably stiffened and reinforced by one or more strips 5 of metal, or the equivalent, suitably secufed thereto, and is formed with the usual apron at the lacing so as to prevent the flesh of the wearer from protruding at the laces. The socket 1 is formed or provided with a strip 6, which may be secured to a belt 7, arranged around the waist of the wearer, as shown in Fig. 1.

The leg proper consists ofwhat might be termed a foot or base 9, which is preferably formed with a pad 10 at the bottom, and with frame members 11, arranged one on each side of the foot 9. In the frame for a' leg, in an amputation below the knee, the bars or frame parts 11 are connected to a curved frame part 14, preferably arranged at the back, and this is braced by the frame part 12, secured to the foot, and to part 14. I also provide straps 1516, and a suitable buckle, or their equivalents for the purpose, so that the frame may be made to normally fitthe socket.

Pivotally secured to the side frame 11 are frame parts 17. The part 17 in the construction shown was secured to the side frame 11 by rivets 18, or the equivalent for the purpose, the ends of members 11 pro jecting above the rivet, as most clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 5. The end of each is also slightly rounded or beveled at the sides and front face. Arranged on the frame part 17 are locking members 24, the operation of i the same being hereafter described. Where I refer to the patients leg having a portion removed, I shall designate the remaining p on o th l a as l tump o S ump legs, in order to avoid confusing the preparatory leg parts with the natural leg. I

have shown the side frame 17, provided with a socket or corset 19, of leather, or

fastening members 21, arranged to engage with the frame part 1%- when the leg is in I use, so as-to support the same above the foot.

The socket 1 is also secured to the frame part 12 by a'lacing22, or equivalent means. The lacing 22 permits the socket 1 to be removed with. the leg without withdrawing the leg from the socket. \Vhile any equivalent may be employed for the lacing, or the socket may be permanently secured to the framework of the leg by riveting or otherwise, in most cases I prefer the detachable construction, as the socket may be withdrawn with the legs, thereby protecting the same when the preparatory leg is not in use.

Inuse, assuming that the same is pro vided with a socket 1, arranged on the stump leg, and which is inserted in the preparatory leg substantially as shown in Fig. 1, and secured thereto by the lacing '22. The leg is supported by the supporter 6 in the same support, of course, derived from the upper socket 19, lacing around the stump leg of the wearer. Ordinarily the wearer starts with his crutches and preparatory leg, later abandoning the crutches for a cane, and as he continues to make progress, finally leaves the cane and walks on the preparatory leg without it. If he desires to sit down, he

raises the locking members, as shown in the dotted lines in F1g. 5,'permitting the leg to be flexed as indicated in Fig. 4. This does I away with the unsightly peg sticking out in front of the individual when sitting,a source of annoyance to others, and of humiliation-to the-wearer. Upon rising, the looking members 24:, by reason of gravity, drop down, as indicated in'F igs. 1, 3 and 5', looking the-leg against flexing. This is done automatically, and owing to the beveled end of the frame parts =1;1,'as previously referred to, the locking members do not catcln'but drop to fullor locking position.

- cured .to the legto 27 are .the side V The construction shown in F ig. 3 is adapt- ,ed for use where the amputatlon 1s above the knee. Referringto the figure, 27 represents the'side bars (similar/to 11) which aresepart 26. Pivota lly secured parts 28, 29 being the looking members similar to the locking members 24. The upper frame consists of'the side bars '28and the' bracing members 30, 31 and 32 which carry a socket 33 similar to the socket described in the previous construction. The frame is provided with straps 34% and 3e, and the detachable socket or corset l, previously described, is made to fit the upper leg and made secure to the frame part 32 and supported from frame part 30. This leg is used similar to the other one, the only difference being the slight changes necessary to secure the socket 1 in place and the lower support, it being unnecessary to provide a framework for the lower leg as the peg leg part 26 serves the purpose.

He will, moreover, have saved the time and expense of a second fitting, and the trouble trying to keep a shrinking stump leg comfortable in a permanent socket. The preparatory leg has all of the essential elements of the artificial limb with the exception of the foot. any other objerls and advantages of the construction herein disclosed will appear lo those skilled in the art to whichthc invention belongs.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial lllfitllficittions may be made in the same without departing from .lhe spirit of my invention;

hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described, or uses mentioned.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a preparatory leg of the kind described and in combination, an adjustable socket member, a supporting frame therefor comprisinga foot part provided with a pair of frame members arranged one on each side thereof and connected at the back, said socket member detachably carried by said connection, a bar for each frame member pivota'lly secured thereto, a socket permanently carried by said bars and means for locking said parts against pivotal movement.

2. In a preparatory leg of the kind described and in combination, an adjustable socket member, a supporting frame therefor comprisinga foot part provided with a pair of framemembers arranged one on each side thereof, and a section frame member pivotally secured to each frame member, a bar connecting one part of said frame bars adjacent their upper ends and outwardly curved toward the rear, a second socket member permanently secured to and carried by said frame bars, means for locking 7 said parts against pivotal movement, and

means for detachably securing and supportmg said first socket member in place with the curved bar.

extending upwardly therefrom on the sides, a rearwardly curved brace member secured to and connecting said frame members near the upper ends thereof, a connecting strap extending between said frame members at the front, said socket members provided with hooks arranged to detachably engage said curved brace member on the top edge thereof, and with means for detachably anchoring the lower end, a brace extending from said curved member to the base, and a frame bar pivotally secured to the upper end of each frame member, and means for locking the frame bars against movement as desired, and a socket member secured to and carried by said frame members at the top of the leg.

1-. In an artificial leg, the combination of upper and lower parts, said parts provided with extending f ame members on each side thereof, secured together to form a knee joint, means for locking the leg against flex ing, a rearwardly curved bar connecting said frame members, an adjustable socket member arranged to be secured on the leg stump,

means supporting the socket member within said leg, and means for detachably securing the lower end in place.

5. In an artificial leg of the kind described and in combination, a frame comprising a foot part having an upwardly eX- tending frame part on each side, a bar connecting said frame parts and rearwardly outwardly curved, bracing means for said curved bar at the back intermediate its ends, a strap extending between said frame parts at the front of the leg, a socket permanently carried by the frame at the upper ends of said parts, a second socket provided with lacing means at the front, and with hooks at the rear arranged to detachably engage the upper edge of said curved bar on opposite sides of said brace.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES F. ROVVLEY.

Witnesses:

L. M. BALDWIN, CHARLES I. Conn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

